1. Field
A linear compressor and a linear motor for a linear compressor are disclosed herein.
2. Background
Cooling systems are systems in which a refrigerant is circulated to generate cool air. In such a cooling system, processes of compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating the refrigerant may be repeatedly performed. For this, the cooling system may include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. Also, the cooling system may be installed in a refrigerator or air conditioner, which is a home appliance.
In general, compressors are machines that receive power from power generation devices, such as electric motors or turbines, to compress air, refrigerants, or another working gas, thereby increasing a pressure of the working gas. Compressors are being widely used in home appliances or industrial machineries, such as refrigerators and air-conditioners.
Compressors may be largely classified into a reciprocating compressor, in which a compression space into and from which a working gas is suctioned and discharged, is defined between a piston and a cylinder to compress the working gas while the piston is linearly reciprocated within the cylinder; a rotary compressor, in which a compression space into and from which a working gas is suctioned and discharged, is defined between a roller that eccentrically rotates and a cylinder to compress a refrigerant while the roller is eccentrically rotated along an inner wall of the cylinder; and a scroll compressor, in which a compression space into and from which a working gas is suctioned and discharged, is defined between an orbiting scroll and a fixed scroll to compress the working gas while the orbiting scroll is rotated along the fixed scroll. In recent years, a linear compressor, which is directly connected to a drive motor and in which a piston is linearly reciprocated, to improve compression efficiency without mechanical loss due to movement conversion and having a simple structure, is being widely developed. Generally, such a linear compressor is configured to suction and compress a working gas, such as a refrigerant, while the piston is linearly reciprocated within a cylinder by a linear motor in a sealed shell and discharge the compressed refrigerant.